A flash of insight crossed his mind, and Xiao Changyan narrowed his eyes: "After this matter is settled, I must properly meet with the Crown Prince upon returning to the capital."
Regarding this elder brother who hadn't grown up with them, Xiao Changyan had always maintained a clear-headed attitude—neither overly suspicious nor easily trusting.
However, after Shen Xihe returned to the capital, her prominence was so overwhelming that it drew everyone's attention to her. Consequently, both he and His Majesty had developed an unavoidable tendency to overlook the Crown Prince.
Now that Xiao Changyan had grown suspicious of Xiao Huayong, many things began to appear clearer, as if Xiao Huayong's influence could be seen everywhere. He wasn't sure whether this was due to his excessive suspicion or if it reflected the truth.
He could only suppress his thoughts and wait until returning to the capital to draw conclusions.
"Have we identified the origins of those who confronted the Shadow Guards?" Xiao Changyan was more concerned about this at the moment.
His Shadow Guards were battle-hardened, capable of taking on ten enemies each on the battlefield, well-trained, and highly coordinated. Even regular troops would struggle against them, yet they had repeatedly suffered setbacks recently.
Earlier, those sent to assassinate Bu Shulin had been ambushed by Xiao Changying and a mysterious figure, resulting in several losses. This time, although there were no casualties, dozens of them were trapped and unable to break through!
"Your Highness, I've just inquired. They've never encountered such people before—possessing the ferocity and fearlessness of death warriors, yet displaying the unity and efficiency of Hidden Guards." The advisor was also troubled; they had met their match.
"How many such men do you think Shen Yungan has?" Xiao Changyan asked. "Did he anticipate that I would send only a small number of Shadow Guards, or did he dispatch far more than needed, only deploying a sufficient portion to handle the situation based on the Shadow Guards' numbers?"
Without waiting for the advisor's response, Xiao Changyan answered himself: "It must be the latter."
If it were the former, it would mean Shen Yungan had spies close to him, as only he and his advisor knew the details of the Shadow Guard deployment and numbers.
"Go find Yu Xiang and maintain close contact with Shen Yungan. Let's properly escort him and Worldly Son Bu on their way." Without further discussion, Xiao Changyan issued the order and retired to his bedroom to rest and recuperate.
Meanwhile, Shen Yungan, having slept soundly, didn't rise until late in the day. After visiting his injured subordinates, he shared a meal with Shen Ershi.
Shen Ershi remained somewhat reserved. Though he could convincingly portray Worldly Son Bu in front of others, he felt uneasy in the presence of his former master. Fortunately, Shen Yungan noticed this and didn't engage him in much conversation.
After the meal, Shen Yungan gathered Shen Ershi, Shen Liu, Shen Shiwu, Mo Yao, Zha Pu, and Qi Pei in the small tea room outside his bedroom. He brewed a pot of Northwestern-style milk tea and first offered bowls to Shen Ershi and Qi Pei: "Try our Northwestern tea."
Only Shen Yungan and Shen Ershi themselves were aware of Shen Ershi's true identity here.
The two accepted the tea and offered polite compliments before the conversation turned to their return to Shu.
"Given the current situation, this water route appears treacherous, but it presents only one major obstacle and remains the most advantageous path," Qi Pei stated first.Taking an alternative land route isn't impossible, but how many prefectures and counties would we have to pass through? The checkpoints along the way are more than just these. Crossing the Min River allows direct navigation to the Shu region's docks. The Shu region is the Bu family's territory—once we safely reach the Shu docks, we'll naturally be out of danger.
Shen Yungan nodded: "The water route is imperative. Prince Jing's forces, combined, amount to tens of thousands of troops, including a naval fleet dispatched by the Jiannan Governor."
"Last night, we rescued Worldly Son Bu. Today, Prince Jing is certain to use the pretext of Worldly Son Bu being abducted by villains to openly mobilize troops, grandly deploying his army against us."
Shen Yungan's words cast a solemn atmosphere over everyone, yet no one interrupted.
Shen Ershi and Zha Pu exchanged glances before breaking the silence: "Military strategy has always been Young Master Shen's forte. If you have a sound plan, please do not hesitate to share it. My subordinates and I will fully cooperate and follow your commands."
Shen Yungan smiled at Shen Ershi without beating around the bush: "I came here at the Crown Princess's request to assist Worldly Son Bu in returning to the Shu Southern Royal Manor. Over these days, I've also conducted extensive reconnaissance on the imperial forces and have some ideas in mind."
"Additionally, while General Yu played a crucial role in the successful rescue of Worldly Son Bu, I still have some reservations about him..."
As he spoke, Shen Yungan hesitated, as if holding back.
"General Yu?" Zha Pu expressed mild surprise. "The General Yu sent by the court?"
Shen Yungan affirmed: "The Crown Princess and I coerced him into exchanging information with us."
"If that's the case, why does Young Master Shen still have reservations?" Zha Pu asked.
"It's not a matter of distrust, but of necessary caution. One wrong move could lead to total defeat," Shen Yungan sighed softly.
"But if General Yu is genuinely committed to defecting, wouldn't suspecting him backfire?" Zha Pu wasn't feigning; he was simply following logical reasoning in response to Shen Yungan's words.
A faint smile crossed Shen Yungan's lips as he asked: "Therefore, I've devised a foolproof plan. The Jiannan Governor can only help Prince Jing block our route through Tubo. He cannot lightly leave his post, lest Tubo take advantage of the situation and harm the people—neither he nor His Majesty would be able to account for that. Thus, we need not overly guard against him."
"As for General Yu and Prince Jing, Prince Jing serves as the commander. We will split our forces into two routes: one will detour east from here, while the other will head in the opposite direction..."
Shen Yunnan pointed at the map, indicating that both routes would follow the riverbank—one on the left, the other on the right—with the aim of dividing their forces.
After a brief analysis of the map, Shen Yungan continued: "I will take the eastern route, while Worldly Son Bu follows the western one. I will inform General Yu that Worldly Son Bu is accompanying me eastward, making the westward route a decoy."
"General Yu, having no reason to doubt me, will naturally request to intercept us eastward, effectively allowing us passage. I will proceed ahead to rendezvous with Worldly Son Bu. The westward route here actually has reefs—the Qu family's sailors are experienced. If Prince Jing pursues westward, we can trap him between our forces, ensuring Worldly Son Bu's safe escape."
"If General Yu feigns compliance but secretly opposes me, he will join Prince Jing in intercepting me eastward. The forces sent to pursue the westward route would then be negligible, allowing Worldly Son Bu to escape smoothly!"
"Are the reefs along this route little-known?" Zha Pu immediately grasped the key point."Yes, it has only recently become apparent." Qi Pei replied, "Only the Qu family members can discern how many locations there are and where each is situated at night."
This affirmative answer filled Zha Pu with immense joy!
Shen Yungan glanced around at the group: "If there are no objections from everyone, we shall proceed with this strategy."
Naturally, no one voiced any dissent, so Shen Yungan instructed Mo Yao to make the arrangements.
Dear reader, this chapter is complete. Wishing you a pleasant reading experience! ^0^
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